How Family Forms The Structure For A Successful 'Power Rangers' Franchise

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It's no surprise that Saban's Power Rangers will receive a sequel. The movie is a modern re-imagination of the beloved TV show we all came to love as children and it has already garnered incredible returns at the box office.

But what exactly makes this new set of heroes different from the rest? And why is it that so many people, devoted fans and newcomers alike, love this movie so much that it's already sparking a sequel? I believe it's all in the family dynamic that exists within our new cast of Power Rangers.

Family Is The Secret Ingredient Making 'Power Rangers' A Successful Franchise

'Saban's Power Rangers' [Credit: Lionsgate]

(Note: The following contains spoilers for Saban's Power Rangers.)

Like The Fast and the Furious, the Power Rangers brings together a group of misfits. But unlike Los Angeles' car racing-superheroes, these rangers are coming-of-age teenagers. This characteristic allows them to grow and learn as a family, becoming the perfect role models for today's teenagers while at the same time providing nostalgia for us, old peeps. And this is all possible due to the cast's marvelous performance and their friendship outside of the movie set. The team's own Dominic Toretto, Jason the Red Ranger (Dacre Montgomery), definitely believes that the family dynamic is their most important strength. When speaking with BUILDabout the aspect of family within the cast, Montgomery said:

We became friends and haven't stopped being closer. It's been so lovely. I think in the prospect of working together again we are all very, very excited because we do get along so well. I think there's definitely a general consensus that we're like family now and hopefully people like the film enough to sort of want a sequel.

After watching the film and seeing the cast interact with each other in various interviews, there's no denying that Montgomery is right. The sense of family and love is present between these Power Rangers and that is the kind of spirit that makes us care for each and every one of them. Perhaps even more than the Rangers we loved from our childhood.

I wasn't the only audience member who gasped when Billy Cranston (RJ Cyler) died by the hands of Rita Repulsa (Elizabeth Banks). Nor was I the only one who felt for Zack (Ludi Lin) when he was caring for his ill mother, and when Trini (Becky G) revealed her personal struggles to the team it tugged on the heartstrings of the whole audience. We also chuckled as Kimberly (Naomi Scott) and Jason flirted with each other, reminiscent of the many times we begged Jason from the TV show to finally kiss Kim.

'Saban's Power Rangers' [Credit: Lionsgate]

This family bond on top of a re-imagination of the Power Rangers mythos lays the groundwork for an unstoppable franchise. The Yellow Ranger (Becky G) couldn't have said it any better when speaking with BUILD:

We are very aware of what an established franchise Power Rangers is and what an imprint it's left on people and their childhoods and we've seen it in so many different ways. But I think what made us so excited about it as actors is that this is a re-imagination. We are not here to replace anything, to step into anyone else's shoes, but to take inspiration from what was so iconic about Power Rangers, which was the unity, the diversity, and take that, and then have so much more creative space and creative freedom to build these characters in a different way than we've ever seen them before.

And she's absolutely right. These characters are different, yet so familiar. So unique, yet so amazingly nostalgic. The new Power Rangers movie has united a new family of relatable human beings and this is the basis for this new Power Rangers franchise. As The Wrap put it:

It’s a testament to these five actors and their collective charisma that they not only breathe real life into underwritten, cookie-cutter characters but also wind up being more interesting as regular teens than they are as color-coded superheroes.

Family Forms The Foundation Of 'Power Rangers' Inevitable Success

'Saban's Power Rangers' [Credit: Lionsgate]

Whether you loved Tommy Oliver as the Green Ranger in Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, Tommy as the Black Ranger in Power Rangers: DinoThunder, the other shows or don't even know who Tommy is, this movie is for you.

Like in #TheFastAndTheFurious franchise the family bond in Power Rangers is present and the superhero spectacle we all love from a superhero movie is also present. So is success a sure thing for Saban'sPower Rangers? CinemaBlend seems to have an idea:

Power Rangers' [is] a good origin story that sets up a potentially even better franchise.

Who's your favorite character from Saban's Power Rangers? Let me know in the comments below!